SB NEWSLIN @ ALLBBS $NLIN.900 Amateur Radio Newsline #900 11 Nov 1994 Amateur Radio Newsline is produced as an audio service by Newsline, a service of the Westlink Radio Netowrk. The transcribed version is produced by Dale Cary, WD0AKO from materials provided by Newsline. and is jointly distributed to online services and bulletin board networks by Steve Coletti and Dale Cary. Copyright owner is Newsline. Permission to reuse all or part of either this written or the audio form requires that the item be taken in it's entirety, not be subject to any further editing or commentary, and that full credit given to Newsline as the source. Permission is granted to all amateurs who want to transmit the audio version in it's entirety over nets or repeaters. The text version may be used for packet distribution as long as it is sent in its entirety and the BIN header is kept intact. NOTICE: When Newsline is transmitted in it's full form over voice or digital forms of Amateur Radio, it is recommended that the closed circut advisory be deleted. Audio, Computer, and Packet retransmissions must be made without the editing or deleting of any other part of the Newsline content. Unauthorized additional commentary to the original message is also prohibited. To do so is a violation of copyright and subjects the initiator to legal action by Newsline. Newsline may also be excerpted for code practice transmissions just like any other news item from any other permissable/public source. Any other use is not allowed without the expressed permission of Newsline. Editorial comment, news items and all other business should be directed to Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, Newsline's Producer and Editor-In-Chief. E-Mail - 3241437@mcimail.com or B.PASTERNAK@genie.geis.com Phone/Fax - +1 805 296-7180, fax senders wait for voice prompt. Text Version information: America Online - tstader@aol.com (Terry Stader, Sysop) or D.CARY@genie.geis.com Compuserv, Delphi, Genie - D.CARY@genie.geis.com Usenet - david@stat.com (David Dodell - Moderator rec-radio-info) FTP, (oak.oakland.edu) - wy1z@neu.edu (Scott Erlich, Boston ARC) Internet mailing list (individuals) - bigsteve@dorsai.dorsai.org Internet mailing list (re-distributors) - D.CARY@genie.geis.com BBS Networks - Steve Coletti (within the conference/echo) or bigsteve@dorsai.dorsai.org via Internet. (RIME users can RO mail to ->35, Fidonet users can Netmail to 1:278/309) - - - - - - NEWSLINE RADIO - CBBS EDITION #900 - POSTED 11/13/94 (***************************************************************) (* *) (* * * ***** * * **** * ***** * * ***** *) (* ** * * * * * * * ** * * *) (* * * * *** * ** * *** * * * * * *** *) (* * ** * * ** * * * * * ** * *) (* * * ***** * * **** ***** ***** * * ***** *) (* *) (* **** * **** ***** *** *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* **** ***** * * * * * *) (* * * * * * * * * * *) (* * * * * **** ***** *** *) (* *) (***************************************************************) The following is late news about Amateur Radio for Radio Amateurs as prepared from NEWSLINE RADIO scripts by the staff of the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, INC. -- formerly the WESTLINK RADIO NETWORK. For current information updates, please call Audio Version of Newsline ========================= Los Angeles............................ (213) 462-0008 Los Angeles (Instant Update Line)...... (805) 296-2407 Seattle................................ (206) 368-3969 Seattle................................ (206) 281-8455 Tacoma................................. (206) 927-7373 Louisville............................. (502) 894-8559 Dayton................................. (513) 275-9991 Chicago................................ (708) 289-0423 New York City.......................... (718) 353-2801 Melbourne, FL.......................... (407) 259-4479 Electronic Hardcopy Version of Newsline ======================================= GEnie (RTC Bulletin Board)............. m345;1 GEnie (File Library)................... m345;3 Dallas Remote Imaging BBS (DRIG)....... (214) 492-7573 In bulletin number 36 The Midwest Connection BBS............. (701) 239-2440 In bulletin number 6 of the ham radio conference Delphi................................. In the ham radio conference Internet............................... In the rec.radio.info newsgroup FTP: oak.oakland.edu, archive: pub/hamradio/docs/newsline Fidonet, RIME, Intellec, I-Link........ In the Ham Radio conferences on those networks CompuServe/HamNet...................... Coming Soon! For questions or comments about the text version, contact me at D.CARY@GENIE.GEIS.COM on the Internet. For the latest breaking info call the Instant Update Line listed above. To provide information please call (805) 296-7180. This line answers automatically and will accept up to 30 minutes of material. Check with your local amateur radio club to see if NEWSLINE can be heard weekly on the air in your area. Articles may be reproduced if printed in their entirety and credit is given to AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE as being the source. For further information about the AMATEUR RADIO NEWSLINE, please write to us with an SASE at P.O. Box 463, Pasadena, CA 91102. Thank You NEWSLINE (**************************************************************** Some of the hams of NEWSLINE RADIO... WA6ITF WB6MQV WB6FDF K6DUE W6RCL N6AHU N6AWE N6TCQ K6PGX N6PNY KU8R N8DTN W9JUV KC9RP K9XI KB5KCH KC5UD KC0HF G8AUU WD0AKO DJ0QN and many others in the United States and around the globe!!! (**************************************************************** [900] (* * * * C L O S E D C I R C U I T A D V I S O R Y * * * * (* * (* Newsline report number 900, for release on Friday, * (* November 11, 1994 and celebrating 17 and a half years of * (* uninterrupted ham radio news bulletins to follow. * (* * (* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The following is a QST Ham radio is there as the grim search continues at an Indiana plane crash site, the Dayton Hamvention announces a date change for 1996 and its number 900 for Newsline. All this and more on Newsline report number 900 coming your way right now! (***** AMERICAN EAGLE CRASH Amateur radio was called upon to help in the aftermath of the October 31st American Eagle plane crash. The twin-engine French built turboprop slammed into a northwest Indiana soybean field, killing all 68 passengers and crew. The devastation of Flight 4184's crash makes recovery a wide spread an tedious operation. With scores of investigators and relief workers on site, the need for communications was critical. The Salvation Army was among several agencies sending crews to the crash area. Pat Mc Pherson, WW9E, is the Salvation Army's local disaster service director. He says hams manned key relief stations through out the area. "What we have hear, in the Salvation Army actually, are number of vehicles, including five disaster canteens. One is a staging canteen, area canteen, where we bring in our people and our supplies initially and then disperse them to the areas. We have two canteens on the crash site. One serves all of the responding personnel, the other is actually on the recovery area with recovery teams. We have also a canteen at the emergency or temporary morgue. We have our Salvation Army counselors and canteen people there. We also have a canteen at a counseling site near the emergency morgue. So what we found out, at least from my point of view, is I needed communications between all of these different entities and my people in Chicago." Pat Mc Pherson, WW9E. Mc Pherson is part of SATERN, the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Net. SATERN members were called into action shortly after the crash. "The disaster area that we were serving extended to about 100 miles, at least the range we needed to communicate from Chicago to Remington, IN were a temporary morgue was setup and was actually the command center for the entire operation there." WW9E. Amateur radio frequencies on 2 meters and HF were active around the clock with disaster related traffic. Mc Pherson says hams have an important role in crash relief efforts. "It affects our efficiency. It affects the number of necessary errors of going back and forth. Because if you didn't have communications you would just have to make a number of trips that you wouldn't have to. You can understand when I am 50 to 60 miles away from the scene to be able to make a decision right there when I have no other means of communications and to help out in the situation, there's a dynamic you really can't formulate very easily just way beyond what you can normally do." WW9E. Amateurs from several clubs provided communications assistance. Hams also responded from Illinois. Amateur radio is credited with once again providing a vital service in the wake of tragedy. The use of amateur radio during the American Eagle crash is another example of how valuable hams can be during disasters. Peggy Coulter, W9JUJ, is the ARRL's Indiana Section Manager. She praised what hams at the crash site did. "I think it's wonderful, I think it's great to link the different places together." Peggy Coulter, W9JUJ. One other note on the role hams played in the crash aftermath. Disaster officials found that hams can sometimes do what cellular telephones cannot. Cellular coverage is marginal in some parts of the crash site area making amateur radio all the more valuable. (***** FREE FEMA TRAINING FOR HAMS Still with emergency preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA says that it has available at no cost, several home study courses on disaster preparedness response. According to a posting by KD6RXY these courses can be converted to college credit if desired. Courses of interest for RACES and ARES emergency communicators are Emergency USA, Hazardous Materials Orientation and a Citizens Guide to Disaster Assistance. Emergency Coordinators and other leadership personnel may also find the course Emergency Program Manager of interest. For further information please write to FEMA-EMI Home Study Program, 16825 South Seton Ave, Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727. (***** HAMVENTION DATE CHANGE After four decades of fighting the uncertainty of weather conditions in Ohio in late April, ham radio's greatest show on earth is changing its date effective in 1996. That's when the Dayton Hamvention will abandon its traditional last weekend in April for a much warmer and less rain vulnerable mid May date. Ken Allen, KB8KE is chairman of Hamvention '95. "We had received comments over the years, increasingly of late from attendees and people in the flea market, some of the other exhibitors that they really would like to see us move later in the year. Also the HARA Arena people were interested in seeing us move it later in the year because of possible conflicts with their hockey team that is based there." Ken Allen, KB8KE. Starting in 1996, that's a year and a half from now, the Hamvention will be held the third weekend in May. Hamvention '96 will take place the weekend of May 17, 18 and 19. The 1997 Hamvention will take place May 16, 17 and 18 and 1998 will be May 15, 16 and 17. Why no change for 1995? Many of the regular exhibitors at the Hamvention work up their convention schedules one, two or even three years in advance. Giving them only six months notice would not be fair to them. Therefore no change is planned for the 1995 Hamvention. It's still slated for the weekend of April 28, 29 and 30 at the HARA Arena in Dayton. (***** DARA SCHOLARSHIPS The Dayton Amateur Radio Association is also accepting applications for its annual scholarship awards program. DARA Scholarships are open to all FCC licensed radio amateurs who will graduate from high school in 1995. The club offers eight scholarship awards valued at $2000 each. For more information and an application form please write to the Dayton Amateur Radio Association Scholarship Committee, 45 Cinnamon Court, Springboro Ohio 45006. (***** W1AW FAVORS THE SOUTHEAST ARRL headquarters station W1AW has reoriented its beam antenna system on 20, 15 and 10 meters to provide improved coverage in the south-eastern United States, The league says that its main 120 foot high tower now has its upper bay of antennas pointed west with the lower bay fed in phase and pointed toward the south. The reorientation work was performed by W1AW station manager WA1MBK and station operator WB9RRU and the ARRL wants to know how the W1AW signal is now coming in. (***** FCC EMPLOYEES JOINING INFOPIKE The FCC which is leading the way to the Information Superhighway has also joined it. This as of October 3rd when complete issues of the independent newsletter "Communications Daily" began to be distributed electronically each business day to all 1,844 FCC employees. Under an agreement announced by FCC Chairman Reed E. Hundt, all employees will access the Daily via the Commission's internal network or will obtain printed copies after the publication is downloaded to a printer. The journal will go to all field offices as well as distribution in its Washington headquarters, but only FCC employees will be allowed to access to it. (***** NEW UK AGE LIMIT The Radio Society of Great Britain reports that the United Kingdom has lowered the minimum age for obtaining a full Amateur Radio license from 14 to 10. The new age limit brings with it a provision that the young applicant must have held a U.K. Novice Class A or Class B ticket for at least one year and then pass an examination for a Full Class A or Class B ticket. (***** TAPR MEETING The 1995 Annual Meeting of the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio group takes place March 3rd, 4th, & 5th, in St. Louis, MO. Hosted by the Missouri Amateur Packet Society some of the brightest and most enthusiastic of today's packet developers and users will be on hand for the session. Tucson Amateur Packet Radio is a non-profit research and development corporation working on the advancement of digital communications and education. This year's annual meeting will be the first held outside of Arizona. As such, it presents a unique opportunity for those unable to travel to Tucson to attend such gatherings. For full details on registration contact Tucson Amateur Packet Radio, 8987-309 East Tanque Verde Road #337, Tucson, Arizona 85749 or by Internet Electronic mail to TAPR@TAPR.ORG. (***** DX-HS QSL In DX word that the QSL Manager for the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand, HS1HSJ, has had a number of personal problems resigned. That duty has been taken over by Dallas Carter, K3WUW. HS1ASN will serve as his assistant. This means that QSL requests for E22DX, E28DX, and HS8AS should now be directed to the Society address, at GPO Box 2008, Bangkok 10501, Thailand. (***** WEST RECOVERING Famed ham radio instructor Gordon West WB6NOA is recovering from eye surgery following a surfing accident off of Newport Beach, California where he had suffered a detached retina. It was not until Halloween weekend, a few days after the accident that Gordo became aware of the problem. He was teaching his regular No Code Tech and a General code class in Irvine, California. On the third and final day affected eye went out on him. Gordo, being the trooper he is, continued to teach despite the problem. He then checked into St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange for corrective surgery. We spoke to Gordo on the phone. He is now home recuperating and hopes to be back in the swing of things within two to three weeks. In the meantime, get well wishes can be sent to Gordo at his home address of 2414 College Drive, Costa Mesa, California 92626. (***** NEWSLINE 900 And finally, it was a mere 900 weeks ago when Jim Hendershot WA6VQP first said. "The following is a QST. This is WestLink." Jim Hendershot, WA6VQP. The date was September 27th 1977. The big story that week and that year was a decision by the FCC to deregulate repeaters. Quite literally to make the ownership of relay communications devices available to every ham. And it was repeater deregulation that was directly responsible for the creation of the Westlink Radio Network. The organization that would later become known as Newsline. "The FCC dropped its deregulation bombshell last week. Bob Thornberg, WB6JPI reads the details from the ARRL Directors letter." WA6VQP. "This is Directors letter number 1697 of the American Radio Relay League dated September 22nd, 1977. The FCC on September 21st, 1977 at a meeting, acted on docket 21033." Bob Thornberg, WB6JPI. None of those who started the Westlink Radio Network could be called professional news people. At least not back then. In fact, it wasn't until late 1979 when Alan Kaul, W6RCL joined the team that a sense of professionalism took hold and the service took on a definite direction. Alan, who is now a network producer for NBC news recalls those early days. "The early days of the WestLink Radio Network were pretty exciting times because they were unpredictable. Nothing was really scripted. There were no rules. There was no format to follow. We just sort of did whatever came into Bill's mind every week. Ad libed alot. I remembered that I was interested in some stuff. I was able to travel to some far and distant places like Bangkok on a story about boat people. To Teheran on a story about the American hostages in 1979. We found that we could get some stuff into the newscast that was really interesting that people wouldn't find out about anywhere else. The World Amateur Radio Conference had been meeting and it was covered extensively in Bangkok, of all places. There were reports on the BBC and we were able to get stuff, information long before it ever appeared in print in any other American publication. In Teheran, during those early days of the American hostage crisis. In the first month or two, I meet a ham that had been living in Teheran. And was operating clandestinely, and sort of explained what was going on. The kind of fears that radio amateurs had. The fact that it was impossible to bring a radio into the country with a BFO. So that you could receive morse code, unless you had special permission from the government. So it was quite an interesting sort of travel log. Those were some of the things we were able to pass on to our listeners." Alan Kaul, K6RCL. Today the Westlink Radio Network is known as Newsline. It has a dozen automated outgoing telephones in key cities throughout the United States. Most sponsored by radio clubs and individual amateurs as a service to their local ham radio community. There is also a worldwide volunteer staff of broadcast professionals providing story information and technical support. Each week an estimated nine thousand hams call in and record the newscast for replay over repeaters and bulletin stations worldwide. How Newsline has grown into such a widely heard ham radio bulletin service will be covered in part two of this special report on the history of Newsline, next week. (***** But for this week, that's all from the Amateur Radio Newsline. You can write to us at: NEWSLINE Post Office Box 463 Pasadena, California 91102. (* * * Newsline Copyright 1994 all rights are reserved. * * *